Week One: Dalby's SAT Vocabulary List

2. enigma n. mystery, puzzle, enigmatic adj. mysterious, enigmatically adv. mysteriously

3. adulate v. to praise excessively. Compare with adulatory adj., adulation n.

4. orthodox adj. conservative; fundamental, orthodoxy n. the established beliefs of a religion

5. anachronistic adj. something out of its proper time, anachronism n.

6. idiosyncratic adj. idiosyncrasy n. behavioral eccentricity

7. abhor v. to detest, loathe, abhorrence n., abhorrent adj. repellent

8. surreptitious adj. secret or stealthy, surreptitiously adv.

9. debacle n. a sudden disastrous collapse, downfall or defeat

10. consecration n., consecrate v. to make sacred, ant. desecrate v. to abuse the sacredness of

11. equitable adj. impartial, fair

12. calumny n. slander

13. assiduous adj. diligent, assiduously adv. diligently

14. profound adj. deep, profundity n.

15. amalgam n. a mixture (in chemistry a mixture of mercury and another metal), amalgamation n.

16. polemic n. controversy, argument or debate, polemical adj.

17. laud v. to praise, laudatory n. praiseworthy, plaudit n. expression of praise, applause n. praise shown by clapping

18. indefatigable adj. untiring

19. nefarious adj. evil, wicked

20. insidious adj. working in a subtle or secret manner

21. stagnation n., stagnant adj. stale, not moving (as in stagnant water)

22. rancor n. deep-seated ill will, rancorous adj., rancorously adv.

23. decorous adj. proper, decorum n. conformity to social convention

24. viscous adj. tending to resist flow (ex: honey is a viscous fluid)

25. frugal adj. careful with money; thrifty, frugality n.

26. indiscreet adj. imprudent, indiscretion n. ant. discretion n. good judgment

27. mendicant n. a beggar

28. sycophant n. a servile flatterer of important persons

29. dissembler n. one who feigns, dissemble v. to disguise the real nature of, to feign or simulate

30. collusion n. the act of conspiring to defraud, collude v. to connive

31. façade n. the front face of a building; an artificial or false appearance

32. buffoon n. a clown or jester, buffoonery n. clowning

33. affect v. to pretend or feign, affectation n. artificial behavior assumed or simulated to impress others

34. exhort v. to urge strongly by argument, exhortation n. a strong urging

35. benefactor n. literally a “do-gooder”, one who gives financial or other aid, ant. malefactor n. an evil doer

36. avarice n. greed

37. glutton n. one who eats to excess, gluttony n., gluttonous adj.

38. eulogy n. a public speech given in praise of someone or something

39. divert v. to amuse or entertain, diversion n. amusement or entertainment

40. stoic n. one unmoved emotionally by pleasure or pain

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